5 Lankan artistes felicitated at Bunka Awards

The ceremony was held on Nov. 06 at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Colombo 07.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development & Cultural Affairs - S.B. Navinna attended the event as chief guest while the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka - Mr. Kenichi Suganuma attended as the guest of honour.

Mr. Shungo Yoshioka, President of the Japanese Solidarity Association of Sri Lanka, Prof. Carlo Fonseka, Co-Chairman of the Fund and other distinguished invitees including members of the diplomatic corps and renowned Sri Lankan artists were also present at this occasion.

The Bunka Awards are presented annually by the Fund, which was established in 1993, on the initiative of the Japanese Solidarity Association and the Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan. They aim to encourage and promote Sri Lankan artists with artistic remarkable talents in such fields as drama, theatre, dance, music, painting, sculpture, pottery, photography, lyric writing, literature, video animation and visual arts. For the past twenty three years, 124 individuals and organizations received the Bunka Awards for their outstanding creative activities in culture and arts.

Moreover, there was a special feature at this year’s Bunka Awards presentation ceremony, which were the live performances of drumming by the Japanese traditional drum troupe “FUKAZAWAGUMI” and of dancing by theJapanese traditional dance troupe “KIKUNOKAI,” both of which are professional performers flown down from Japan with courtesy from the Cathay Pacific Airlines Colombo office.

The Bunka Awards presentation ceremony will be telecasted by one of Rupavahini channels soon.